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Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp is congratulated by Andre Ethier after scorin on a sacrifice fly by Ethier in the eighth inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Christine Cotter)

Hot Spots: Lincecum, the former ace and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, struggled so much last season that he was banished to the bullpen in the postseason. He shined in his new role, posting a 2.55 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 2-3 innings. He was nearly unhittable in the World Series, allowing only one of 16 batters to reach base safely. He cut his hair in the offseason and added 10 pounds of muscle in hopes of regaining the form that helped him dominate hitters early in his career. Whether it works will be a major question early in the season for the defending champs.

Outlook: General manager Brian Sabean's offseason plan? Don't mess with success. He brought back almost the entire crew that helped San Francisco win a second World Series title in three seasons, with players who accounted for more than 95 percent of the postseason at-bats and all but 1 2-3 innings pitched still on the roster. San Francisco rewarded older players like Scutaro, Pagan and Affeldt with lucrative contracts to return through free agency. The starting pitching once again with be a strength, led by Cain and Bumgarner. But the competition should be even tougher this season in the NL West with the big-spending Dodgers trying to supplant their rivals. One positive for the Giants is that in both seasons in which Posey has been healthy, they have won the World Series.

Hot Spots: A lot hinges on whether Ramirez's return to shortstop is finally successful. He appeared hesitant there after the Dodgers obtained him last July 25 from Miami, where he had moved to third base. That's where he was playing for the Dominican Republic in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic when he tore a ligament in his right thumb diving for a ball. The Dodgers could move Cruz back to shortstop and play Juan Uribe, Nick Punto or Jerry Hairston Jr. at third. Or, they could keep Cruz at third and turn again to light-hitting Dee Gordon, who had appeared headed to Triple-A Albuquerque. Gordon was Los Angeles' starting shortstop last season until he had surgery July 6 for a similar injury to his right thumb. Crawford's surgically repaired left elbow also is a concern. Nerve irritation limited him in spring training and could keep him out of the opening-day lineup. Greinke's scheduled start April 2 against San Francisco could also be pushed to a later date because of inflammation in his right elbow that interrupted his training camp.

Outlook: A 2013 payroll of more than $230 million bought a lot of expectations. The big ticket is the six-year, $147 million contract that Greinke signed in December. But there was more in the vault. A lot more. The Dodgers signed Ryu, who has pitched only in Korea, to a six-year deal worth $36 million. Cuban prospect Yasiel Puig, who has never appeared in a major league game, signed for $42 million over seven years. Can the Dodgers cash in? It won't be easy in the NL West with the rival Giants coming off their second World Series title in three years. But a pennant might be the only thing anybody accepts.

Hot Spots: Shortstop, where light-hitting Pennington and Bloomquist, plagued by a sore back last season, will split time as top prospect Gregorius, acquired from the Reds in the three-team deal that sent Bauer to the Indians, waits in the minors. Right field, where the franchise's biggest name, Upton, and his multiple talents are gone, sent to the Braves in the trade that brought Prado to Arizona. The newly signed Ross was penciled in there, but a calf injury could have him on the DL when the season begins, leaving the spot to Parra.

Outlook: General manager Kevin Towers was busy in the offseason, working to reshape the club's personality into an aggressive, team-oriented unit that depends less on the home run and more on timely hitting, with speedy rookie Eaton, newcomer Prado and Hill, coming off a Silver Slugger season, leading the way. If McCarthy can stay healthy and the bullpen is as good as advertised, the Diamondbacks, division champions in 2011, believe they have the pitching to contend with the World Series champion Giants and rich Dodgers in the tough NL West. The question is, can they score enough and avoid their myriad baserunning blunders of a season ago.

Hot Spots: The Padres already are in trouble, and this after they made no major offseason additions to a roster that finished 18 games behind NL West winner San Francisco. Headley, coming off one of the best seasons in club history, broke his left thumb in spring training and is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season. Logan Forsythe could take over at third. Gyorko, the Padres' top prospect, played third base until switching positions last season in the minor leagues. Quentin played little during the spring after having surgery on his right knee in the offseason. Young catcher Yasmani Grandal is suspended for the first 50 games after testing positive for testosterone, and Cabrera's name was listed in the records of a now-closed Florida clinic at the center of a Major League Baseball investigation into banned performance-enhancing drugs. RHP Casey Kelly, the key prospect acquired from Boston in the trade for Adrian Gonzalez, appears headed for reconstructive elbow surgery.

Outlook: There's not much optimism that the Padres will avoid a fifth losing season in six years. That leaves fans to wonder what they will do with Headley, whose breakout season produced Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, as well as 31 homers and an NL-best 115 RBIs. He earned a $5.1 million raise when he and the Padres avoided salary arbitration by agreeing on an $8,575,000, one-year contract. The Padres don't seem inclined to sign him to a long-term deal, at least not right away. They apparently want to see if Headley can have another big season. They control his rights through 2014, and his trade value has never been higher. Many fans fear the Padres will trade Headley, as they did Jake Peavy during the 2009 season and Gonzalez in December 2010.

Hot Spots: The Rockies will ease the wear and tear on Helton by giving him more days off this season. The five-time All-Star is a lifetime .320 hitter but batted a career-low .238 in 69 games before having season-ending surgery on Aug. 10 to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. On the days the 39-year-old Helton sits, Cuddyer, Tyler Colvin or Jordan Pacheco will take his spot. A longtime franchise icon, Helton apologized and asked for forgiveness after getting arrested during the offseason in a Denver suburb and charged with drunken driving.

Outlook: This time last year, Weiss was coaching his son's high school baseball team. Now, the first-year manager inherits a Rockies squad that's coming off a season in which they lost a franchise-record 98 games. The team made no bold offseason moves to bolster the club, banking on bounce-back seasons from veterans coming off injuries instead. The Rockies have their leader back in Tulowitzki, who was sidelined in late May with a groin injury that eventually required surgery to remove scar tissue. They also are counting on De La Rosa rounding back into form. After winning 16 games in 2010, he was the team's ace in 2011 before tearing a ligament in his left elbow. He made three September starts last year, hitting 94 mph with his fastball and giving the team optimism. But he was rusty, posting a 9.28 ERA in 10 2-3 innings. Colorado is hopeful Chacin can develop into an ace after an injury-filled 2012.

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